Machine for waxing blanks



July 15, 1941.

H. SIDEBOTHAM EI'AL.

MACHINE FQR WAXI/NG BLANKS Filed June 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 DA/79; zfari Z z y 9 M. H. SIDEBOTHAM ETAL 2,249,182

MACHI NE FOR WAXING BLANKS File'd June 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I up 101 f ra 7%, 43 M i am MW y 1941- M. H. SIDEBOTHAM ETAL 2,249,182

MACHINE FOR WAXING BLANKS Filed June 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 15, 1941 MACHINE FOR WAXING BLANKS Melvin H. Sidebotham and Gordon L. Sidebotham, West Newton, Mass, assignors to Harlow M. Russell, Chelsea, Mass.

Application June 4, 1938, Serial No. 211,892

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of moisture-proof paper box blanks, and has particular reference to the manufacture of wax coated blanks having high-glossed surfaces.

Wax coated paper containers having glossy surfaces are very desirable because of their moisture-repelling gualities and improved ap-' pearance. To obtain a high-glossed wax finished box blank, the wax must be applied to the blank while the wax is hot and in a liquid condition, and immediately thereafter chilling the waxed blank in cold water, thus solidifying or setting the wax. It is customary to then pass the waxed blank between squeezing rolls to remove the water from the surface of the blank. It is appar: ent that the squeezing operation could not well be performed after the box has been fabricated, therefore the box must be folded and glued after the waxing, chilling and water freeing operations. In fabricating boxes, from blanks, it is usually necessary to use glue or other adhesive to secure flap sections of the blank. Glue or other adhesive commonly used in making boxes will not pen-- etrate wax, therefore to obtain satisfactory adhesion of the connecting parts of the blank, from which the boxes are made, the coating of wax must either be omitted from the securing sections of the blanks or removed therefrom prior to the fabricating operations.

It has long been a problem to find a machine adapted to high speed production by means of which paper box blanks may be wax coated, chilled and pressed while leaving certain sections of the blank free of wax.

The method disclosed and claimed in United States Patent Number 1,892,083 issued December 27,1932, to Melvin H. Sidebotham, a'co-inventor of the present invention, has proved very successful, but the present invention is much better adapted to large quantity, high speed production.

An object of our present invention is to provide a machine for wax treating paper blanks,

while leaving predetermined areas thereof 'free of wax for adhesive securing purposes.

= Tl Other more specific objects and advantages of v the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood Figure 5 is a section at 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a partial section at 66 of Figure 5, drawn to a larger scale.

Figure '7 is a plan view of the face or outside of one form of blank produced in accordance with our invention.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the inside surface of the blank shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view of the blank folded to form a container in collapsed condition.

Figure 10 is a front view of the container in set-up condition.

Figure 11 is a top view of the set-up container shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a plan view of a portion of the wax applying pad IS. with cut outs l9a, Nb and I provided therein for the purpose of omitting wax from predetermined areas of the blank.

Figure 13 is a plan view of a portion of the wax applying pad 20 with cut out 20a provided for the purpose of omitting wax from predetermined areas of the blank.

Figure 14 is a plan view of one of the wax applying rolls showing a portion of the pad 19 and a portion of the outer wire mesh l8 broken away to show the construction of the wax applying rolls.

Figure 15 is an end view of the wax applying roll shown in Figure 14.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in all of the views.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the different parts or members of the machine are mounted on a base I which constitutes the framework of the machine.

The blank supplying unit comprises a hopper 2 in which are stacked the blanks3 to be wax treated. Blank advancing belts 4 being driven by pulleys 5 and 6 mounted on shafts I and 8 j'ournaled in base I. Guide bar 9 secured to base I serves to guide the individual blanks downward as they are advanced singly and successively from the hopper 2 by belts 4. Guide roll [0 mounted on shaft ll journaled in base I co-acts with belts 4 to feed the individual blanks downward.

The wax applying unit comprises a pair of wax applying cylinders l2 and I3 mounted on shafts I4 and I5 journaled in base I. Cylinders l2 and iii are provided with a plurality of gutters or grooves I6 (Figures 2 and 4). The outer surfaces of the cylinders being covered with a sheet of coarse meshed wire screen I! (Figures 6 and 14). A sheet of fine meshed wire i8 is provided on the outer surface of the said coarse meshed wire screen I 'l. Wax applying pads l9 and 20 ervoirs 2 I (Figures 12 and 1 3 are secured to the outer surfaces of the fine meshed wire screen I8 of cylinders I2 and I3. The pad I9 of cylinder I2 being out to the pattern of the outside area. of the surface of the blank to be treated with wax. Pad 20 being outta the pattern of the area of the inside surface of the blank to be treated with wax. In other words, portions of the pads are cut out to correspond with the areas of the surface of the blank which are to be left free of wax. The pad 20 provided on cylinder I3 is different only in pattern from the pad I9 shown on cylinder I2. It is apparent that the cylinder I2 assembly operates to apply wax to areas of one side of the blank while the cylinder I3 assembly operates to apply wax to portions of the opposite surface of the blank. Reservoirs 2I containing hot wax 22 are provided for supplying wax to the pads of each cylinder. Two wax distributing rolls 23 mounted on shafts 24 journaled in base I are provided to spread and evenly and pass the blanks to squeezing rolls 29 mounted on shafts 30 journaled in frame I. Figure 3 illustrates the arrangement of the several rolls which drive and guide the said conveyor belts. Rolls 3I, 32, 33 and 34 drive and guide belt 21, and rolls 35, 36, 31, 38 and 3I drive and guide belt 28.

From the squeezing rolls 29 the blanks pass singly and successively to the delivery belt 39 driven and guided by rolls 40 mounted on shafts 4| journaled in base I.

In the operation of the machine prepared blanks 3 are delivered singly and successively from the hopper 2 to the blank advancing belts 4; thence each blank passes under guide bar 9 and then downward between belts 4 and guide roll II). Each blank then passes between the wax applying cylinders I2 and I3, the pads I9 and 20 of which are coated with hot wax by causing the said pads to pass through the liquid wax in res- In passing between said wax applying cylinders the pads I9 and 20 apply wax to the corresponding surface of the blank according to the pattern of the pad. Each blank then passes downward into the cold water tank 25.

v The blanks enter the tank at a point between rolls 32 and 35 and are picked up by belts 21 and 28. Each blank is then carried through the cold water bath between said belts 21 and 28 and thence to squeezing rolls 29 where the water is squeezed" from the blanks in passing therebetween. The blanks then pass to the delivery belt 39 to be picked up for use.

' able gearing is employed in practice to cause the various rolls and shafts to rotate at uniform peripheral speed to effect travel of the blanks through the machine and to operate the various deviceswhich act on the blanks in the sequence described.

In practice suitable heating devices are provided to maintain the wax in reservoirs 2| in liquid condition. It is sometimes desirable to also provide heating devices on the wax applying cylinders to maintain the wax on the pads in condition for proper application to the box blanks.

While the invention includes the combined instrumentalities above mentioned, we wish it to be understood that we consider the aforesaid machine not only combinatively novel, but insofar as we are aware, certain of the devices going to make up such machine are new in less combinations than the whole and some capable of individual use, as will more clearly appear hereinafter.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8 there is illustrated a box blank, showing its condition after wax has been applied to predetermined areas thereof. Figure 7 shows the printed blank 3 after it has been treated with wax by pad I9 in passing between cylinders I2 and I3. The blank 3 (Figures 7 and 8) is divided by creased lines to form a front panel 3a, a back panel 30, end panels 3b and 3d, and a flap 36. It will be apparent that the areas 3], 3g and the surface of the flap 3e shown in Figure 7, illustrate the unwaxed surfaces of the outside of the blank. In the application of the wax to the blank by pad I9, the cut out portions I92), I and I9a of the pad I9 will leave free of wax the areas 3f, 39 and 3e of the outside surface of blank 3 shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 illustrates the inside surface of the blank showing area 3h, of the end panel 3d, free of wax. In the application of the wax to the inside surface of the blank, by the operation of pad 20, the cut-out portion 20a (Figure 13) of the said pad 20 will result in leaving the area 3h of Figure 8 free of wax.

Figure 9 shows the blank 3 (Figure 8) folde to form a box in collapsed condition, sections 3a and flap 3e being folded to overly sections 30 and 3b, and the end panel 3d folded to overly back panel 3c and flap 3e. Thus it will be seen that the unwaxed side of the flap 3e and the unwaxed surface 3h of the end panel 3d, will be in superimposed relation. It is obvious that if an adhesive is applied to area 3h or 3e before the folding operation, the blank 3 will provide a complete container, which when set up appears as shown in Figures 10 and 11. The areas 3} and 3g (Figure 7) have been left free of wax so that a stamp or label may be applied to seal the package, of which the blank 3 forms the container.

The container represented by Figures 7 to 11 inclusive, is shown merely for the purpose of illustrating the operation of our improved machine and method of making wax coated box blanks. Our invention is adaptable for producing wax coated blanks of any design wherein predetermined areas are to be left free of wax.

Having now described our invention, what we claim is: i

1. In a machine for wax treating box blanks, the combination of a cylinder provided with a plurality of grooves in the outer periphery thereof, the said grooves extending from the ends of the cylinder and lying parallel with the axis thereof, with a frame for rotatably supporting the cylinder, and a wax applying pad mounted on the outer periphery of the cylinder, the said pad being cut to the pattern of the areas of the blank to be wax treated. 1

2. In a machine for wax treating box blanks, the combination of a. cylinder provided .with a plurality of grooves in the outer periphery thereof, the said grooves extending from the ends of the cylinder and lying parallel with the axis of the cylinder; with a sheet member having a plurality of openings therethrough, superposed on the outer periphery of said cylinder; and a wax applying pad mounted on the sheet member, the wax applying pad being cut to the pattern of the areas of the blank to be wax treated; and a frame for rotatably supporting the cylinder.

3. In a machine for wax treating box blanks, 15

the combination of a cylinder. provided with a plurality of grooves in the outer periphery thereof, the said grooves extending from the ends of the cylinder and lying parallel with the axis of the cylinder; with a coarse meshed wire screen superposed upon the outer periphery of the cylinder; 9. fine meshed wire screen superposed upon the coarse meshed wire screen; a wax applying pad, mounted on the fine meshed wire screen, the wax applying pad being cut to the pattern of the areas to be wax treated; and a frame for rotatably supporting the cylinder.

MELVIN H. SIDEBO'I'I-IAM.

GORDON L. SIDEBOTHAM. 

